A Mighty Fleet
by The Wayward Typhoon
Summary: Death. Picnics. Alcohol. Chess. Carbon. Motorcycles. Allergies. ...I don't know, either. (Whiterose, Ladybug, Strawberry Sunrise, Checkmate, Dry Ice, Bumblebee, Pollination.)
1. White Rose

**Author's Note: My third solo fanfiction! And it's another collection of one-shots. Go figure. Anyway, for this fanfiction, I'll be writing individual chapters on every single pairing in Team RWBY, including all four of them, but here's the twist: The name of the specific pairing will be a plot point. So let's get right into it then, shall we? Early Christmas-themed White Rose activate!**

"Hello, Ruby. It's good to see you again. In a manner of speaking, anyway. Sorry, was that insensitive? I keep slipping up with remarks like that. I won't do it again, I promise.

"How do you like this dress? I know green's not my color, but nothing stands out against white quite like it. Helpful, given this new snowfall. Mm, nice and warm, too.

"Anyway, I thought that you might like to hear about what's been going on recently. You know, with life.

"Nora finally got around to telling Ren how she really feels. Yes, took her long enough, I know. In the end, all she really needed was a well-placed sprig of mistletoe. Now they are indeed, 'together-together.' I'm really happy for them.

"She's not all, either: Jaune finally proposed to Pyrrha. Oh, what an affair that was. This is second-hand information I'm giving, but apparently they were out by the river, and he did the whole setup, you know, that he had an important question for her and all, then he just struck a match and threw it into the water, where it actually spread out, spelling out 'Will you marry me.' She said yes, naturally.

"What else, what else… Oh, Blake and Sun are a thing now. I only just found that out on my way here. Still not sure what she sees in him, but it was apparently enough, I guess. Thought you'd like to know that.

"And you'll love to hear about what your uncle's been getting up to recently. Spoiler alert: It's marrying my sister, Winter! You remember her. I guess this makes us technically related? Eh, I'll try to forget it. I suggest you follow suit.

"Oh, and Yang will kill me if I don't tell you now: You're going to be an aunt! How about that? She's refusing to tell anyone who the father is. Keeping us in suspense like this, it's so unlike her. My best bet is that it's all a setup for one giant pun. Haha…

"…She misses you, you know. We all do.

"Why did you have to do it, Ruby? You knew there would be no coming out of that warehouse alive, it was a death trap in every sense of the word! Hundreds of White Fang! Thousands of Grimm! No one could survive that! …So why did you even _try to_?

"D… Don't answer that. I feel I won't want to hear it."

Weiss stood up after a few minutes in silence, still clutching a pale rose in her hand. "It was… nice talking to you, Ruby." She let the flower fall onto the stone marker in the ground. "I'll be back soon. I promise." And with that, she turned and left, retracing her snowy steps through the graveyard.

 **Author's Note: Aaaand I already killed her again. What is this, four times now? Yeah, about that. I sincerely apologize, and promise to make up for it with plenty of fluff next time.**


	2. Ladybug

**Author's Note: I promised you folks fluff, didn't I? Well, here you go!**

It was a warm spring day on the island of Patch. Blake was visiting her teammates at their home for a few days over spring break, during which time Ruby had suggested the two of them have a little picnic at a nearby park.

What Ruby had neglected to tell her girlfriend, however, was that this particular park was home to what seemed like thousands of insects (a personal phobia of hers), one of which just happened to land on her as she was biting into her sandwich, tuna of course.

Blake's amber eyes went wide as saucers. "Ruby what is that."

"Oh, that's a ladybug!" Ruby said excitedly. "It's supposed to be good luck if-"

"Good luck? Oh no no no, this is the worst luck possible!"

"Not really. I mean in terms of worst case scenarios, that could be a hornet."

"I don't care what it _could be_ , it _is_ a bug! Oh dear Gav, I can _feel it crawling_ -"

"Blake, just calm down! Please, it's not a big deal-"

"Not a big deal? Ruby, it's _already on my shoulder_!"

"Just give it a few seconds, it'll fly off on its own-"

"Ruby it is on my neck and it's going to bite me _help_!"

"Blake, relax. It's just a ladybug. They don't bite. Besides, it's good luck if one of them lands on you."

Blake's hand was already well on its way to greet this bug with a good squashing, but in a flash, Ruby stopped it.

"And it's bad luck to squish one! Honestly, as a black cat, you should know better." Apparently startled by this commotion, the little bug flew off.

"I'd like to remind you right now that you're the only one who gets to make remarks like that," Blake intoned, still in a tensed position.

"I know, Blake. And you can relax. It's gone."

"Gone? It flew away?"

"Yes," Ruby whispered, gently stroking the Faunus' back. "It flew away. You're okay." Eased by her words, Blake returned to her sandwich. "I had no idea you hated bugs this much."

"Bugkind and I have a sordid past. When I was ten, a mosquito bit me in right on my eyelid while I was sleeping. Never trusted arthropods since."

"Really? Huh, I just thought it was an instinct thinggggnnnno no no _no no no_ that was so offensive I'm sorry!" Ruby whimpered, toppling onto the ground. "You must hate me…"

Blake laughed, handing Ruby her own half of roast beef sandwich. "It's okay, Ruby. You never mean it."

Ruby accepted the food, taking a small bite as she sat back up. "Thanks, Blake." She looked over at Blake, and suddenly perked up. "You got some, uh…" Ruby gestured to the corner of her lip.

"Oh, let me just…" Blake responded, reaching for a napkin.

"No, no, it's okay, I'll get it." And before Blake could process how exactly Ruby would "get" it, she had already kissed her, and went back to her roast beef.

The rest of the picnic was had in a comfortable silence, and thankfully free from insects.

 **Author's Note: So fluffy. Like a Jet-Puffed™ marshmallow… sandwiched between two Honey Maid™ graham crackers with Hershey's™ milk chocolate… mmm…**

 **I'm not sponsored, by the way. I just like those brands in particular. Anyway, tune back same Bat-time, same Bat-channel for Strawberry Sunrise!**


	3. Strawberry Sunrise

**Author's Note: This chapter operates on the assumption that legal drinking age in Vale is 19. Okay, here we go.**

It was a day to be celebrated. After four long years, Team RWBY had at last graduated from Beacon Academy, alongside JNPR, CRDL, and many others. Finally, they were able to begin their careers as Huntsmen and Huntresses. Not only that, but Ruby Rose, youngest Beacon graduate in history, had breached Vale's drinking age barrier. These facts, combined with Yang Xiao Long's recent mixology license, led to the events of a summer night in their home on Patch.

"So, what did you call this again?" Ruby asked, examining the concoction before her.

"That, little sister, is called a 'Strawberry Sunrise,'" Yang said proudly, as she finished mixing another. "Composed of creme de fraises, grenadine, orange juice, and a fruity garnish. It is my very favorite alcoholic beverage…" She joined her sister on the couch. "And so it shall be _your_ very first."

"Alright, then."

Yang lifted her glass. "To Team RWBY!"

Ruby toasted her sister. "To Team RWBY!"

Both sister took a drink. "So, how is it?" Yang asked.

"...Wow… this is really good."

"Welcome to the wide world of alcoholic beverages, Rubes."

Once Ruby had polished off her first Sunrise (a feat which took just under two minutes), Yang mixed them both another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

And another.

It only came to a stop when she attempted to get up and make another, only to promptly collapse to the floor, prompting Ruby to giggle uncontrollably.

"Stop laughing, Ruby," Yang slurred, easing back onto the sofa. "You try walking after this many Sunrises."

"God… You are sooooooo drunk, Sis."

"Not as drunk as you, Ruby. Look at you, you're like… melting, you are."

"Oh, shut uppp, Yang. I've had many as just as you. I mean I-" She was sent into another laughing fit.

"Yeah, but I've built up a bit of a resistance. Tell you now, it takes a lot more of these to put down the Sun Dragon!"

"Tha-That what you make the boysss call you?"

"You're one to talk, sis. You never had a single boy at Beacon. Or girl, whichever. I don't know your…"

"Wasn't easy, Sisss. I was, I-I was beatin' em off with a stick, I tells ya! ...Least, I think I was… I hope I was… Am-Am I pretty enough, sis?"

"Now what kinda question is that?"

"Whuh?"

"Man, you're more drunk than I thought. 'Course you're pretty. Why you even askin' that?"

"It's juss… I don't feel like anybody ever really _swaw_ me at Beacon…" Ruby slurred, slumping onto a cushion. "Why dinn't anybody flirt with me like they do ta you?"

"Well, I guess your problem is… Well, you're too cute to get flirted with."

Ruby pulled herself up into a seated position. "Uhm… Maybe it's the large amounts of alcohol, but I don't get ya…"

"I mean, people look at you, sis, and they see… Don't mean to be condescending, but they see a kid."

"A kid?"

"Yeah, you're just too cute to be flirted with."

"Bu-But I thought being cute helped…"

"Sure it does. But being too cute, that's another story. I mean, guys, they look at your… wide silver eyes, and those little red streaks in your hair, and the cuteness, it's… it's almost intimidating."

"Not stoppin' you from flirtin' up a stormmm…" Ruby smirked, pulling herself closer to her sister.

Yang laughed. "Ruby Rose, do you actually believe that I, your dearest sister, would ever _think_ to flirt with you?"

"Uh-huh," Ruby slurred, brushing her head up against Yang's shoulder.

"Well, then…" Yang intoned with mock haughtiness, looking her sister in the eye, "I just don't know what to say to you."

"You don't have to say shit, sis." And with that, Ruby's lips were upon hers in a sloppy, drunken kiss. When it ended, Ruby collapsed into one more giggle fit, throwing herself off the couch in the process.

"IIIII am sooo drunk…"

"Care to blame what just happened on that?" Yang sleepily said, slumping onto her side.

"Sure thing, Yang, shure thing…" Ruby hiccupped, as she fell asleep on the floor.

The sunrise would no doubt bear witness to the greatest hangover Patch had ever seen.

 **Author's Note: The hell did I just write. What. The hell. Did I. Just. Write. I'll tell you what I just wrote: Drunk Sister Kiss. That's what I just wrote so yeah checkmate next time or whatever kbai**


	4. Checkmate

**Author's Note: I have no explanation for Deutsch Weiss. Just read it.**

Chess. The figurative and literal game of kings. A hallmark of foresight, strategy, and above all else, wisdom. A game which left a very certain Faunus utterly befuddled. It wasn't for lack of trying, of course. Time and again, Blake Belladonna had thrown herself into the 8x8 checkered fray, but the marks afterwards were more war wounds than battle scars.

Sensing her plight, and in a typically unforeseeable act of goodwill, Weiss Schnee (heiress to the Schnee Dust Company) offered to tutor Blake in the subtle art of chess. Blake was reluctant at first, insisting that she would be self-taught through and through. But halfway through saying this, she realized that being self-taught really wasn't working out, and she accepted the heiress' offer.

And so it began. Just what "it" was, however, neither party could ever see coming.

* * *

No video recording of the Schnee-Belladonna sessions was recovered after the fall of Beacon. Only the following audio tapes survived.

* * *

 **Tape 1**

Weiss Schnee: "Now, just a couple rudimentary questions before we begin, Blake. First and foremost, what would you say is your skill level when it comes to chess?"

Blake Belladonna: "Well… I know what the pieces are called, how to move them, white always goes first…"

WS: "So, just the basics, then."

BB: "Yeah, that's a good way to put it."

WS: "Well, that's good! Gives us a foundation upon which to build."

BB: "I guess so."

WS: *sigh* "Blake, look at me. _Schau dir meine Augen an_. Right here. There is no such thing as guessing in chess. Repeat after me. No such thing…"

BB: "No such thing…"

WS: "As guessing…"

BB: "As guessing…"

WS: "In chess."

BB: "In chess…"

WS: " _Wunderbarr_. That was lesson one. Now for lesson two."

 **Tape ends.**

* * *

 **Tape 2**

Weiss Schnee: "Alright. Say you find yourself in this position. How would you make your King safe?"

Blake Belladonna: "Oh, this one's easy. I just move the Rook over he-"

WS: "Not likely."

BB: "Pardon?"

WS: "Not. Likely. You move the Rook there, the Bishop nabs him up with ease. So you have Bishop here, Knight there, and the Queen right down the middle, and _was schreibt er, meine Liebe_?"

BB: "…Checkmate."

WS: "Exactly. Now, once more: How do you make the King safe?"

BB: "Use the Rook… to blockade the Queen, freeing space to get the Pawn promoted!"

WS: " _Wunderbarr_."

 **Tape ends.**

* * *

 **Tape 3**

Weiss Schnee: "Okay, I can't believe I haven't taught you this earlier. So simple, and yet soooo fun. All the pros do it, even if they never admit it. Have you ever heard of 'castling'?"

Blake Belladonna: "Based on my knowledge of movies, that's my cue to say, 'Well, it's illegal in Vacuo, I know that much.'"

WS: " _Nicht schlecht_. I also would have accepted, 'Bless you.'"

BB: *laughter*

WS: "But yes, castling. Now, how this works is, on your first move, you send out this Pawn here, then deploy the *mumbles*… that there… and move the King here, and once that's done, you can just put your Rook… here, and _da bist du ja_! A wonderful line of defense for your most prized piece."

BB: "Wow. That's legal?"

WS: "The simplest tactic one can pull off."

BB: "Hmm… 'Tactic,' huh?"

WS: "Your next lesson."

 **Tape ends.**

* * *

 **Tape 4**

Weiss Schnee: "Blake, I think it's time. Time at last for you to play against me."

Blake Belladonna: "You at last deem me worthy."

WS: "Indeed, my pupil. Be warned, I shall be bringing you all I have in me. And I only ask you do the same. You and me. _Keine Gnade, und keine Sperren verboten_. Right here, right now."

BB: "I'm ready."

WS: "Then the die is cast. I move my pawn. _Katzenfrau_ , the floor is yours."

*What follows is minutes of near-silence, intermittently broken up by a gasp of surprise, a cocky chuckle, or concentrated humming.*

WS: "N…No…"

BB: "So the student has surpassed her teacher."

WS: "Just say it. _Mach schnell_."

BB: "Checkmate."

 **Tape ends.**

* * *

 **Tape 5**

Weiss Schnee: "I'm quite proud of you, Blake. You have taken to chess rather well."

Blake Belladonna: "Yeah, you should have seen me before these lessons. I was floundering."

WS: " _Ein Barren aus Stahl kann nur ein Schwert in einem brüllenden Feuer und unter einem festen Hammer werden_."

BB: "Just because I'm fluent in chess now, that doesn't go for Atlesian as well."

WS: "I was _going_ to translate, _dankeschon._ "

BB: *laughter*

WS: "It was a favorite saying of my _opa_. Carried me through most of my training."

BB: "What does it mean?"

WS: "'An ingot of steel can only become a sword in a roaring fire, and under a firm hammer.'"

BB: "That's… powerful."

WS: "He was a fiery old codger, that is definitely for sure." *laughter* "...I saw potential in you, Blake. You kept getting thrown down every time you played, even against yourself. But you just kept getting back in there. I thought, if I could infuse some weight into your resilience, then…"

BB: "I'd be unstoppable."

WS: " _Genau_."

BB: "Weiss… something I still don't get about chess: Why does white always make the first move?"

WS: "Well, it's really always been that way. No one can tell why, even those who made the game, I suppose."

BB: "I just don't think it makes much sense. Shouldn't black be allowed to make the first move once in a while?"

WS: "Look, it's how the game was designed, and it has worked for centuries. Tell you what. If you can give me one good scenario in which black moving first is warranted, then maybe-" *The rest of this sentence is greatly muffled, and trails off quickly.* "...Oh."

BB: "Checkmate."

 **Tape ends.**


	5. Dry Ice

**Author's Note: Nothing in particular to say this time. Just wanted to let you all know that you are loved. 3 Okay, fanfic time!**

"I still cannot believe you agreed to this," Weiss almost growled as she adjusted her goggles.

"Oh, come on," Yang smirked, buttoning up her white coat. "You think I'd miss the opportunity to do something like _this_? Okay, we're rolling… And… Action!"

Weiss almost instantly shifted into a more cheerful disposition, as the BGM played. "Greetings, and welcome to Inexact Science!" Pause for title card. "The only scientific show we know of to star-"

"A 36E-cup with shotgun gauntlets!"

"…Not quite what I was going to say, but we fit that criteria as well, I suppose."

"And have we got a show for you today!" Yang announced, pulling out a massive silvery cooler from behind the table, and beginning an overlong unlatching process.

"Indeed we do. Because today, we present to you perhaps the most fascinating substance in all of Remnant…" she quickly leaned into the camera "aside of course from Dust which may I add is available in all major outlets, courtesy of Schnee Dust Com-"

Yang snapped her gaze to her cohost, as the music sharply cut off. "Weiss, what did we discuss about product placement?"

Weiss shrugged. "I have to make a living somehow, Yang! Not like you're paying me for this…"

"I heard that. Now get back to it, and _stick to the script this time_."

"Fine." The music resumed. "We present to you perhaps the… _second_ -most fascinating substance in all of Remnant…" Yang at last opened the cooler, to reveal what seemed to be a smoking block of ice. "Dry. Ice." Thunder SFX.

"Despite its name, dry ice is not solid water at all," Yang explained, gesturing to the substance. "It is, in fact, the solid form of carbon dioxide, and exists, simultaneously, as a solid, liquid, and gas."

"And if you ever used this thing to cool your drinks…" Weiss shuddered exaggeratedly. "But don't take our word for it." Yang reached an arm under the table. "To show how this stuffs react to human skin, here's our assistant…" Yang reached back up, a small puppet likeness of a nefarious criminal now on her hand. "Cinder Doll!"

" _Everything will proceed according to the_ _ **keikaku**_ …" Yang smoothly intoned, moving the puppet along with her words, before suddenly placing it onto the dry ice, where it began to smoke up. " _Oh God! Oh the pain! The endless pain of my skin cells freezing! It's even worse than I could ever imagine! OH SALEM HELP MEEEEEEeeee_ eeee…" Sensing Weiss glaring at her, Yang took the puppet's remains off the ice and chucked it. "The point is, this stuff is nasty if not handled properly." She slipped on a pair of large gloves, as Weiss set up a large wooden block on the table. "Which is why you get yourself a couple of _these_ bad boys…" She picked up the ice and replaced in on the block. "If you ever wanna do something like that."

"Now, aside from looking incredibly cool…"

"No pun intended."

"Dry ice has many practical uses."

"Pun intended."

"For example-" Weiss double-taked. "Wait, what?"

But Yang was already stealing her lines. "The most common way it can be used is storage, be it of food, beverages, bacteria, even oil spills!"

Weiss pulled a bowl of water and smaller block of the stuff (with metal tongs) from off-screen. "Not only that, but when submerged in water…" She placed in the dry ice, and the bowl began to produce massive amounts of fog. "It makes for unparalleled practical effects."

No sooner had she finished this sentence was a crash heard, and there was a Beowolf in the room. " _WHAT THE-_ "

Yang nonchalantly reequipped her gloves. "Of course, the most effective use of dry ice still is, and always has been…" With great force, she threw the large dry ice block at the Grimm, forcing it to retreat in pain. "Grimm deterrent."

"Yang, there's more of them!" Several growls could be heard off-screen, as Weiss retreated.

Yang whipped off her gloves, as well as her oversized labcoat, revealing her battle gear. "Well, that's all for this installment." She shifted Ember Celica into attack mode. "Tune in next time, when we will explore the many uses of Grimm blood!" She leapt offscreen into the fray. " _YOU WANT SOME?! COME GET IT!_ "

 **Inexact Science is experiencing technical difficulties. Please stand by.**


	6. Bumblebee

**Author's Note: This is the Author's Note.**

There's this concept in human relations known as the "fire-forged friend." The idea that sharing dangerous or otherwise challenging tasks tends to turn people into close friends rather quicker that, say, a quick chat at a café table. It is perhaps why the term "war buddies" is so often heard to describe a friend. And while dragging a motorcycle a great walking distance in a thunderstorm is not even close to the horrors of war, it does tend to stick with you long after you're back home. Especially for Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long.

It was a warm spring evening, and the two Huntresses-in-training were enjoying spring break on the island of Patch. That was the evening that Blake discovered Yang's rather impressive motorcycle, Bumblebee. Yang suggested a sunset ride on the coastline, circling the whole island before sundown. Blake accepted, being a bit of a thrillseeker.

Unfortunately, whether it was due to an unclean exhaust, or water in the tank, or the bike achieving sentience and wishing to spoil their fun, it suddenly broke down. Fortunately, Yang was able to pull over before they both got hurt. _Un_ fortunately, they were out of Scroll reception to call for a tow, so the only reliable way to fix it would be via a DIY, and most of Yang's tools were in her garage, at her house, on the far side of the island. Fortunately, Bumblebee gave out near a main highway that cut through the center of the island, right back to her house. _Un_ fortunately, it had started to rain.

That rain soon became a downpour, which progressed into one of the roughest thunderstorms either Blake or Yang had ever seen. Both girls pushed the bike in earnest, desperately trying to make it home before sundown. It was, quite literally, an uphill struggle, for Yang's house sat 200 feet above sea level, on the highest point on the island. At one point, Blake's bow undid itself, and was blown away in the storm. But she cared not that her ears were exposed. All that mattered was that the motorcycle got home.

It took the both of them until an hour past sundown to reach the garage. The rain was coming down harder than ever, almost becoming a wall of water. Thunder echoed around them, heralded by the lightning that flashed across the sky. And by the time Yang had deduced the problem (a faulty radiator), fixed it, and got her motorcycle running once more, it could almost be classified as a tropical storm.

Two hours later saw them all washed and dried, sprawled on the couch and basking in their victory. With the television having been blown out by the storm, they instead found entertainment in each other, recounting their hike through the rain as an epic journey, as though they were heroes of old reminiscing in some tavern.

And so it went, until sleep overtook them. At some time in that night, Blake was affected by a chill in the air, and drawn to Yang's latent semblance of heat, moved herself closer to the warmth in her sleep. Or at least, that's what Yang's sister Ruby surmised when she woke up the next day to find the two of them curled up together on the couch.

 **Author's Note: And there's another piece of fluff to keep you warm this winter.**

 **Now, all four keys have been brought together, and the gate can be opened… Stay tuned.**


End file.
